


New Year's Eve with a Girl named Rey

by agirlfromniima



Category: Reylo - Fandom, Star Wars
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff, New York, Reylo - Freeform, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 23:57:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17131136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agirlfromniima/pseuds/agirlfromniima
Summary: It's New Year's Eve in the bustling city of New York and Kyle plans to spend it alone at work.That is, until he meets a girl named Rey.





	New Year's Eve with a Girl named Rey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reylocalligraphy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylocalligraphy/gifts).



> Here's my gift for @reylocalligraphy. It's a bit messy, I know, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!  
> Happy New Years.

It was cold. Even though the man was no longer outside, he could still feel the deep winter chill clinging onto his every limb like a petulant child refusing to let go of a hug as he sat silent and tired on his lonely seat in the subway. 

He couldn’t say he entirely minded it, though. 

The cold was his closest friend, his most faithful and unwanting companion. On the darkest of nights in the innermost corner of his turbulent mind, it remained with him as steady as a firm walking cane to an old man. And now, no matter how firmly he nestled down in his thick black coat and shoved his clenched fists deeper within its fleece-covered pockets, the chill of the fierce icy night accompanied him as he waited for his stop, and there was no doubt it would still accompany him as he got off and headed into the dirty streets of New York for another lousy supper. Then, it would walk him back to the subway, on the train back to work, and finally sit him down in his darkened office to spend working during another New Year’s Eve. The man almost smirked at the thought. The only friend he’d spend the holiday with was his own pitiful lack of warmth. He couldn’t say he entirely minded it, though.

The subway started to screech into a long drawn out hiss as it began to stop, and just in time, too. This was his stop, and his stomach was beginning to grumble. Once the train came to a full stop, he bolted up in less than a heartbeat and headed out the opened panel doors. Luckily for him, the station was nearly empty which was a surprise considering the date. 

_Good_ , he thought, _no petty tourists._

Out of the corner of his eye, though, he could catch the faint outline of someone to his right. It was a young woman standing just a few feet behind one of the blue paint slabs on the ground that read “stand aside”. He hardly would have paid her any more attention, too, if it weren’t for the small sliver of cardboard she help in her hands in front of her. As soon as she caught sight of his eyes on her, she didn’t pass up the opportunity to flash him an innocent smile and the sloppy bold markered words on her sign which read in large letters: “Please spare change. Hungry.”

It wasn’t uncommon to find the needy taking shelter here this time of year. He saw it all the time. Perhaps anyone else would have spared a dollar or two for the poor thing, but after all, he was hungry, too. And he intended to remedy that as soon as he could and retreat back to his office, where he should be. It was bad enough he had to go out at all on such a crowded night. He moved along towards the bright red “exit” sign that hung above the ascending staircase leading to Manhattan’s surface and walked up, up, away from the girl and into the harkening chill from the snowfall above. 

Or, at least, he had planned to. 

“Hey! Let go! Stop!” a feminine voice with a heavy British accent cut through the chilled breeze from behind and beckoned him to react. He swung around to find two new additions to the scene before him. 

Two men were crowding against the girl, pulling at her coat and pushing her towards the wall. “Hel-!” she tried screaming until one of their coarse hands flew over her mouth and the others stuffed themselves greedily into her coat pockets. Muggers—just the kind of filth that gave New York its lovely reputation. They probably hadn’t seen him climbing up the staircase what with the thick slab of wall blocking his frame. All the more to his advantage. 

Without a moment’s hesitation, the man stalked up stealthily behind the muggers, inching closer with silent steps until he was close enough to grab one of them by the shoulder and fling him off the girl, gifting him with a swift sock to the jaw and sending him to the ground. Even though he made no hesitation to stagger away like a cockroach, his partner in crime lost no time throwing himself at his friend’s perpetrator and swung an angry fist towards him. The man quickly dodged and was about to deliver another punch of his own until the mugger was suddenly flung face-first to the ground by an unknown source. The man took his blazing gaze from him then to the girl, her raised foot now descending back to a stand still. She had kicked him. 

Before the mugger could arise, the man thrust out a knife from the depths of one of his inner coat pockets and pointed it towards the criminal as soon as he turned to face him, readying himself for another attack.

“Don’t get any closer, or _else_. Just turn around slowly and leave us alone,” the man swore a top his heavy pants, gripping the knife tighter in his hand. Disheveled as he was, he was just about ready to start a _real_ fight if need be. 

The mugger turned his head to find that his whimpering partner had now vanished, leaving him and any prospect of a bountiful steal behind. Wiping the small trickle of blood off his chin with the back of his wrist, he muttered a shallow curse and ran off up the staircase that led outside, no doubt after his fellow street rat. 

The man let his eyes linger awhile on the spot where the perpetrator ran out of view, still sneering to himself. Yeah, he had better run.

“Um, ‘scuse me. You can put that away now. They’re gone…” a soft clear voice suggested. 

“Oh...,” the man remembered the girl and carefully slid the pocket knife back into the inner reaches of his coat. “I keep it around for nights like this. You can never be careful in this city.”

“That’s for sure. Hey, thanks a ton, sir. You really helped me.”

“Yeah...yeah, it was nothing. Um...are you hurt or anything?” the man asked upon closer encounter with her. 

She was young, probably no older than twenty. And although her dark chocolate hair hung in tangled swaths and her mismatched clothes were painfully tattered with more than one blotchy stain, there was something more about her, perhaps it was the gleam in her wide brown eyes or the persistence of her returning grin, that seemed to command his gaze for far longer than it had when he had first seen her.

“Well, um...my arm feels a bit sore. One of those men had grabbed and twisted it hard, but I think that’s about it. You sure were quick. They didn’t have time to do anything more,” she chuckled.

“That’s good, I guess. I’m glad to hear that...oh, here,” he picked up her cardboard sign which had been dropped near the edge of the bottom step of the stairs leading out of the subway and handed back to her.

“Thank you,” she took it, hugging it close. 

“Sure...well, take care,” he brought himself to tear his eyes away from hers and forced his feet to guide him back to the staircase, all though not nearly as hurried as they had been before. Their conviction to leave was lost. 

He could hear her shuffle nervously from behind and could sense the unease that overtook her previous confidence. Not even the fresh cigarette the man now hung between his lips could soothe away the doubts raining upon the pavement of his head. By the sixth step up, he turned his head over his shoulder to find her gazing after him, though they quickly averted away when he faced back towards her. 

She was rubbing her hands against the sides of her arms in an attempt to rub herself warm and her sign stooped by the edge of her feet on the ground. He could still make out the large bolded text on it that read “hungry” larger than any of the other words. 

He cleared his throat. _Ridiculous_ , he thought, _this is ridiculous_. But the thought could stop his mouth from calling out to her.

“Hey...would you like some food?”

“What?” she asked, rubbing her hands together, then breathing into them.

“Would you like something to eat?” he asked again, this time louder. “There’s this diner down the street. I’m going down there for dinner and you can join me if you like. My treat.”

“Wha-really?” she piqued, edging closer towards him in interest.

“Yeah, really,” the man held out his hand from the confine of his side pockets and extended it towards her. 

He didn’t like this. He didn’t need any company, especially on a night like this one. But dammit, something just didn’t sit right with him when he had tried to walk away. Something like a tiny peep of a voice in his mind told him that maybe, just this once, he should be the good guy. Besides, it was cold. The girl was hungry. And who knew if those two sleezes would return, perhaps with more scum accompanying them? 

“Well...I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to be any more tro—” she was cut off by the deep and guttural rumble of her stomach, no doubt begging she’d heed the offer and the man couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

“I guess that’s a yes.”

. . .

“You’re wight mister…” the girl said between a mouthful of waffle-fries. “Weese rawr good.”

From the moment the waitress had placed anything remotely edible on their table until this point in time, the girl had not stopped gorging herself. The sight almost made the man pity her. Although as impossible as she was, he couldn’t blame her for being hungry. The slim bulk of the tarnished hoodie she wore couldn’t hide how thin she truly was, what with her spiny hands poking out from under the table to shovel another handful of fries every seven seconds. 

“Hey...um..sir?” she asked curiously after swallowing her current mouthful.

“Yes?” he said, snapping out of his awed trance. Afterall, who wouldn’t stare at someone attempting to break the record for “most-fries-eaten-in-one-sitting”?

"Are you gonna eat that?” 

The man peered down at his own plate, harboring a bowl of soup hardly stirred and already cold. He sighed, figuring his appetite had been lost long ago anyway, and pushed it gently across to her side of the table.

“Thanks Mister um...what did you say your name was again?”

“I didn’t… It’s Kyle,” he mumbled as he eyed his wristwatch. He ought to be heading back to the office by now. So why was he still here with this girl? He made a silent wish the waitress would head over with the bill already.

“Well then thanks Mr. Kyle...really. It means a ton to me, your kindness and all. The name’s Rey," she said as she drank in the soup.

“Don’t mention it, really...Rey. Hey, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?” 

“Shoot.”

“How did you end up, er…”

“Homeless?” she finished for him as she attempted to squeeze the last morsel of sauce out of a ketchup bottle onto what was left of the now half-eaten soup. 

“Yeah. You’re so young.”

“Well, I’ve been on the streets as long as I could remember. In fact, I think it’s _all_ I can remember.”

“Don’t you have any family?”

“Oh, I do. They’re looking for me, I’m sure,” she smirked.

“Why don’t you contact them, then? Did you...runaway?” his voice lowered on that last word.

“No, no...it’s just that...I…”

“What?” Kyle egged on.

“Their name kind of slipped from my memory…”

“You mean you totally forgot them?”

“No! Just their names… I haven’t seen them in years.”

Kyle leaned back in his seat, engulfed in thought. If Rey couldn’t remember the name of her own family, how was he to know if her family was even looking for her at all? Or if she was lying? He chuckled a bit at that last suggestion. If she was lying, she sure was bad at it. Perhaps she suffered from some kind of amnesia.

As if she could read his thoughts, Rey suddenly exclaimed, “I’m not crazy! I _do_ have a family, honest.”

“Yeah...sure,” he sighed and dropped the subject at that, rubbing the back of his neck aimlessly.

The waitress finally returned with the tab and he paid it as Rey eeyed the amount due print on the receipt suspiciously. “Like I said, my treat,” he reassured her.

“Then thanks for the gazillionth time, I guess,” she mumbled after slurping up the remaining spoonfuls of soup. Suddenly, she began untying the matted pale blue scarf that she had worn around her neck. Once it finally came undone, she handed it to Kyle. “Here. Take it, please! It’s not much, I know, but I hate leaving you empty-handed after all you’ve done for me.”

He eyed it as if he had been given a lone sock or a ball of hair. Even still, it was at least _her_ ball of hair. It was perhaps the one article of clothing she had that wasn’t totally torn or stained, and now in its place was a bare neck left uncovered where the collar of her sweater could not reach. “Uh…,” he stuttered. “You don’t have to, really.”

“No, please, I insist! It would really ease my conscience. Besides, you look like you could add a bit of color to you wardrobe.” 

He couldn’t blame her for that remark. He was never usually one for garishness. His long black coat and dark dress pants said that as much. Reluctantly, he took the scarf and considered balling it up into his pocket, but upon catching that hopeful gleam in her eye and her cheeky smile that lit her face up, he slowly and half-heartedly swung it over his neck. “Thank you,” he muttered.

“Sure thing. Well, um...Happy New Year and I wish you the best, Kyle,” she smiled at him once more and stood out of her seat.

“You, too…” he mumbled as his eyes latched onto her back that now was heading for the door. When she opened it, a fresh gust of icy wind greeted her, strongly swinging her hair back and causing her to grab hold of her unzipped sweater and bundle herself in its folds. 

A fresh sting of guilt flooded over him. The weather was particularly unkind tonight, and she only had a sweater. And the fact that he now had her scarf only made him frown even more. _No_ , he thought, _I need to get back to work._ Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He didn’t _need_ to head back right away. He always chose to work after hours.

 _No!_ he hissed to himself. _Not now. Not with her._

He already had delayed himself much longer than he had intended. Kyle bolted up from his seat and made his way to the door. As expected, as soon as he fiercely thrust himself forward into the now lonely powdered street, the cold grasped onto him like a hungry puppy. His most faithful friend, indeed. The scarf did help warm his neck up, at least. With slow, unrushed clops for footsteps, he made his way back to the staircase that would take him down, down into the subway station where he’d take a train back to work, back to his large, empty office, back to his large, uncomfortable seat, to work on his own for New Year’s Eve. 

That is, until he made a decision.

 

. . .

“Rey! Wait! Stop!” Kyle yelled in a frenzy as he ran back towards the lowly figure walking down the sidewalk whom he hoped really was Rey. He nearly gasped in elation when it stopped and turned back to reveal her bubbly, albeit confused, face.

“Did you forget something?” she asked.

He had caught up to her now, breathless but satisfied. “No, it’s just that… you don’t have anywhere to go, do you?”

“Not it particular,” she said through chattering teeth. _Obviously_ , she was cold. 

“Then I figured, if you’d like, we can go and buy you a coat.”

“What? Are you serious?” she gasped while she began rubbing her palms together again for warmth.

“Definitely.”

“Oh, Kyle, you don’t have to do that! You’ve already done so much. And I don’t want to take anymore of your time…” she blushed, obviously caught off guard by the gesture. 

“Nonsense. I have nothing better to do,” he muttered. “Besides, you’re freezing.”

She stared at him for two seconds, her gaze coming off to Kyle as half-dumbstruck and half-suspicious, and yet that sliver of curiosity in her must have given in because she suddenly began to laugh to herself and the both of them began walking side-by-side further along the sidewalk. “Alight, if you can bear my company a tad longer I guess we can head over to this thrift shop I know of down on—”

“Nu-uh. No thrift shops. Look, there’s probably a nice store or two up ahead. We can look through there. And don’t worry about money. I can afford it, believe me.”

“Right, right… but it’ll cost you.”

“I just told you, money isn’t a problem,” Kyle grumbled.

“I’m not talking about money. You asked me a lot of questions back at the diner, now I want to learn a bit more about you. I think I have a right to a few questions if I’m gonna let you buy me an expensive coat.”

Maybe she had a right, maybe she didn’t, but the proposal made him groan nevertheless. His gaze shifted to the ground, hands slumping deeper within his pockets the farther along they walked down the quiet street. The last thing Kyle wanted to do was fork up his life story to some homeless girl he had only just picked off the street. Then again… it couldn’t hurt. After he’d buy her some clothes, he’d be back off to work and would most likely never see her again. Heck, he could even make something up.

“Well...let’s see,” he said. “On my thirteenth birthday I was coronated Queen of England, only to usurped by my evil uncle a year later. Since then, I’ve been on the run from the mafia for embezzlement and have taken refuge here as a polka dancer. Does that suit you?”

She burst with laughter, “Ha! No, not quite. But nice try nonetheless.”

He sighed and lit up another cigarette, “Sorry, but there’s not much left to tell.”

“Well...how about your family? Don’t _you_ have anyone to spend New Year’s with?”

He was silent, taking his time to inhale the tangy flavor of his cigarette before exhaling a steady beam of warm heavy smoke. “No..not really. My family...they don’t wanna see me.”

“Why not?” she piqued.

“I haven’t seen them in years,” he mumbled, breathing in another whiff of his cigarette. “Hmm...how do I explain this? I’m like you, I guess you can say. Only, I _want_ to forget about them. A long time back, there was this fight. Real bad, nasty one. After that, I was never able to go back to speaking terms with them again.”

They walk farther along together, nearly close enough that their arms brushed against each other and for a minute, neither of them spoke another word. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, finally breaking the silence.

“Nah, it’s fine. I think they prefer it this way anyway. I know I do.”

“Don’t say that! I’m sure things are rough between you guys, but I don’t know any parents who’d wish they’d never see their children again. It just takes some time, right? What about friends?”

“No need for them, I suppose.”

“A girlfriend, at least?” She giggled. “Now don’t tell me you don’t have one of those.”

Kyle finally threw the charred stub of his cigarette to the ground and stepped over it as they walked by. That was rich. What was this girl, a therapist? An encyclopedia? A genealogist? And him with a girlfriend? Yeah, right. Yet he couldn’t admit he wasn’t amused at the thought of her wanting to know, so he played along. 

“Yeah, yea. I have one.”

“Ah,” she said, “Is she sick or something?”

“No, what makes you ask that?”

“Well, I’d figure she’d be spending the holiday with you right about now instead of me, ha ha!”

“Oh, no. She’s just...out of town...with family.”

She cocked an eye at for a moment and smiled to herself, “Alright.”

Silence overtook the crisp night air between them as they continued on through the benign street. Once in awhile, a tourist or two wearing cheap New Year’s memorabilia would bustle past them, no doubt pressing onwards towards the celebration in Times Square. Flurries of shouting and elated cries could be heard in the distance, only muffled by the soft footfalls of their steps, nearly in-sync with each other as they filed past the dining section of town and on towards the fashion district. 

Some buildings were lit, their doors left wide open, obviously tempted at the prospect of many a tourist stopping to spend a quick buck as they flooded past their storefronts on their way to the party in Times Square. Some had even neglected taking down their Christmas decorum, making for an ambient glow of twinkling lights that painted the street a soft multi-colored gleam. 

Gazing to and fro whilst keeping their pace, the two of them had made their way past a shoe store, a dress and formal wear emporium, and a small sportswear outlet before finally coming across what looked to be a quaint shop flouting stylish puffy coats and fleece sweaters behind their large glossy windows. 

“This one looks good enough. Why don’t you take a look inside? Anything you like is yours,” Kyle proposed. 

“Really? Anything? I’m not quite used to that.”

“Anything,” Kyle smirked.

“Wow. Okay then. If you insist… but aren’t you coming, too?”

“I’m afraid womenswear isn’t my specialty. I’ll trust your judgement.”

“Pish-posh!”

Kyle suddenly felt a hand grab his and in an instant was pulled indoors. All around him now were lines of simple racks from which dozens upon dozens of clothing articles hung in neat categories by color, size, and shape. Bright ceiling light fixtures hung from above so bright that it nearly made his \eyes wince. 

A cheery high-pitched voice sung from the right side of the store, “Welcome! Let me know if you need any assistance!”

Rey was lost in her own world, swimming through each aisle meticulously as if she were on a scenic tour rather than a shopping spree. Each blouse seemed more like a grazing gazelle, each pair of pants a zebra or a lone lion. Kyle only hoped she’d finally find something she was willing enough to take home as a pet. Not knowing what to make of himself, Kyle cleared his throat idylly and trailed behind her, his gaze aimlessly lingering on anything she had touched or had caught her attention for more than a second. Once nearly fifteen minutes of this had passed, he had to admit she sure was taking awhile to come to a decision. Afterall, the store wasn’t all that large to begin with, and he had began to feel as though they had walked amidst the same aisles over and over again. Surely _something_ had to have caught her eye by now. Everything seemed nice enough.

_Buzz. Buuuuuzzzzzzz._

The sudden rhythmic vibration in his left side pocket nearly made him jump from where he stood in front of a mannequin wearing a long fur coat. He immediately pulled out his phone and let his gaze sink onto the glowing screen from which the words “Mom is calling” took up the small space in bright white letters. 

She was calling him _again_. 

Kyle’s faint breathing grew shallow, and his fingers trembled as his thumb hovered over the green button that would welcome his mother’s voice to his ears. What did she want with him? Kyle knew that was a stupid question. Some part of him also knew, no, admitted through gritted teeth, that she _missed_ him. It seemed like a millennium since he had last seen her.. He could practically digest her voice already, beseeching him in a sing-song tune, “Pick up. Please...pick up!”

His thumb shot down upon the bright red “reject” button and instantly, her title disappeared, drawing his screen now blank.

“Kyle…”

Dammit. She knew better than to reach out to him. He had made his choice, as did she so long ago.

“Kyle…?”

The voice pushed him off his train of thought. He finally peeled his eyes from his phone and shoved it hastily back into his pocket. Rey stood before him now holding two thick coats between her arms. 

“Are you alright?” she asked, concerned.

“Uh, yeah. Do you want those?” 

“I’m gonna try them on.”

“Good,” he sighed. “Good.”

Right where she stood, she slung off her hoodie and placed in on the ground near her feet, then proceeded to try on the first coat.

“Woah, aren’t you going do that in a fitting room, where there might be a mirror?” he asked.

“No need,” she said, pulling the second arm piece over her left arm. “You give me your opinion. You are paying afterall.”

The coat was a bit large on her, he had to admit. It was one of those quilted designs that spread out in puffs along the bodice. And the color was simply atrocious—a deep bright fuschia that stuck out like such a sore thumb Kyle couldn’t help but cringe.

“Bad, huh?” she giggled softly.

“Um, it’s...fine if you like it. But why don’t you try on the other one anyway?” he tried sounding optimistic.

“Ha, whatever you say, I guess,” she quickly tossed the behemoth of a coat onto a nearby rack and began put on her second choice—a slightly slimmer black bomber jacket with fur trimmings along the zipper. 

Rey struggled pulling on the last arm piece and Kyle immediately held it for her to more easily slip into. “Thanks,” she smiled. And once it was on all the way, he couldn’t help but return a grin back. 

She looked great in it. Even, dare he think, kind of cute.

It wasn’t anything too showy, and yet it complimented her figure and the rest of her misshapen outfit perfectly. And she seemed to be pleased with it, too, from the look of that sparkle in her eye. “I think this will do fine,” she said in a excited tone. 

“Me too,” he said. “Me too…”

. . . 

After insisting she was happy with the jacket multiple times, Kyle readily paid for it and once again, was faced with a dilemma as they once again entered into the cool night time breeze outside. At an literal and figurative crossroads, Kyle once again remembered his office his work...and then there was Rey. A voice inside of him told him he had done all he could for her by now. Anything more at this point would just be awkward, wouldn’t it? 

In a desperate attempt at conversation, random words fumbled out of his mouth, “Look, um…”.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” Rey quickly asked.

“A walk?”

“Yes! I’m much warmer now and it doesn’t look like you have much keeping you,” the hope in her voice lowered and she downheartedly brought her tone down to a whisper, “Unless, of course, you do need to go…”

“No, no!” the words practically flew out before he could process them further, “I mean… that sounds nice. I should get out more anyway.”

Her already quaint smile grew wider, enhancing the skin around the edges of her thin lips into tiny dimples. “Alright,” she whispered and without the slightest hint of which direction they proceeded in nor want for any pre-planned destination, they walked together, this time more slowly in unhurried, lingering steps.

The soft on and off blinking of Christmas lights that strung upon the ledges of buildings and trees now did not seem as overbearing or blinding as they had before Kyle, but in fact, seemed to sprinkle tiny bits of visual peace upon him as he walked along, no longer hurried or irritated. It almost felt warm now, but perhaps that wasn’t all the atmosphere’s doing. Kyle eyed Rey and something about her, perhaps it was the way she nearly skipped along so innocently as they walked, or maybe it was the way she observed everything around her with a childlike awe afresh with wonder, made him glad he had decided to eat out tonight.

The wind had let loose, and the night was darkening gently by the minute, enhancing the glow of Christmas lights that blossomed around them at every turn. The only thing lost to them was near silence of their walk which was finally broken when Rey asked Kyle, “So, what work is so important that you choose to attend to after hours anyway, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Nothing as interesting as it may sound to you… I guess you can say I’m a bit of a politician.”

“Oh? For what party?”

“Not any you’ve know of...yet. It’s not all that important, I just work backstage, making sure things get done. Nothing very fun, especially for conversation’s sake,” Kyle explained as he exhaled the smoke of his third cigarette. But as soon as Rey let out a series of small coughs, he flicked to the ground.

Rey sniffled. “It must be fun enough if you choose to work at it all through the night.”

“It’s not like that,” Kyle mumbled. “I don’t particularly enjoy it. It’s just something that keeps me busy.”

“I guess you really don’t get out much, huh?” she paused for a moment, lost in thought, then her eyes lit up at the sight of something in the distance. “Hey, what’s that?”

“Huh?” Kyle squinted towards the horizon. “Oh, that? It’s the ice rink they set up every year. I guess we must be closer to Times Square than I thought. Do...do you wanna go?”

“Oh, I’d love to. It’s just that I never learned how…” she confessed.

“It’s not hard,” Kyle exclaimed, suddenly invigorated, “Mom and I used to go every year. You may stumble a couple of times, but once you get the hang of it it’s as easy as walking. I’ll teach you.”

Rey took a breath and ran a bit of a ways ahead, already excited, “Alright then. Let’s go!”

. . .

“I change my mind, this is ridiculous!” Rey pleaded nervously.

Her feet wobbled are ferociously as a newborn calf does making its first steps, struggling to coherently balance the weight put upon it with each semi-stride. She wasn’t kidding when she said she didn’t know how to skate. To help, Kyle skated right next to her, available if she needed a stand to lean back against. 

“No, no, you’re doing well! Just relax. Here, look at me,” he exclaimed as he skated a few feet ahead, now facing in front of her. He extended his hand palm upwards towards her, close enough for her to reach towards, but far enough that she’d need to take a few strides to grasp. “Just glide one foot at a time. Propel yourself by pulling your foot back.” 

“No way, I’ll fall on my face and you know it,” she half-chuckled.

“Maybe, but that’s part of getting it right. I’m right here in front of you if you feel like you’re about to.”

She did as he suggested, shuffling her forward foot back to propel herself, only to suddenly lurch back then forward again without any sense of restraint nor management. Kyle lost no time grabbing hold of her waist and even though he caught her just in time before she could fall, his success did not come without its embarrassments. For now he found himself directly face-to-face with the pretty girl, her deep brown eyes staring intently into his and he nearly became lost in the moment with them. It was as if those eyes had stared not just into his own, but beneath them, reaching down into the very depths of his soul and giving it a wholesome hug. It was only when he began to notice the reddening blush brighten her cheeks that he continued helping her stand on her feet again and then quickly took more than a few steps back. 

That was close. This was getting way too close.

“Urhm...that was good,” he muttered. “You’re doing fine. Just take it one step at a time.”

“Sure, sure…” she replied just as timidly, although her eyes had never broken contact his. “Do you think it’d be alright if I could maybe hold on to your arm… just as a counterweight?”

Without a second thought, he extended his arm to her and she grabbed hold of it, now standing close besides him.

_Too close._

“Let’s try to make it to the other side of the rink now. I think we could do it. There’s plenty of space to go at your own pace.”

“O-okay. Just remembered it was your idea.”

Together, they began to glide little by little towards the other end of the rink with Rey leaning for support on Kyle whenever her steps grew unsteady. But by the time they had made it to the end she seemed nearly capable of skating on her own, now taking on longer and more confident strides with ease, though she still held onto him, perhaps unintentionally. Perhaps intentionally.

Without exchanging any more words they skated onwards, weaving through passing skaters and idylly observing everything before them. To any passerby, they may have looked like a content couple out for a perfect New Year’s date. Perhaps they knew it, too, though neither of them likened to admit it. For now, another matter was pressed upon Kyle and he couldn’t stand it any longer. His eyes widened he longer he remained silent, gaze pressed ahead onto something beyond Rey’s perception, and yet she could feel the tension flaring off from him like the burn of a fire when one placed their hand too close to the flame.

“Rey, let’s leave right now,” he finally said, though his words came out as if under duress, panicked and choppy.

“W-why? I’m doing so well. Even you said so,” she cried, visibly confused.

“I’ll explain soon. Let’s just leave, please,” he begged again, this time lowering his eyes to the ground and keeping them there until she eventually conceded and they turned around back towards the exit, and hurriedly threw off their rental skates so fast it was though they were was burning coal inside of them. As soon as they thrust their shoes back on Kyle grabbed Rey’s hand and they dashed offsite as quick as lightning.

“Hey, what's all this about? We’re out now. You can tell me!” Rey asked, tugging at his sleeve. Even though they were well away from the entrance to the rink by now, he hadn’t stopped speed-walking away and it was making it hard for her to catch up.

Kyle finally stopped, peering behind him as if he believed they were being followed, then he finally confronted Rey. “I apologize,” he gulped before continuing, as if waiting for his heart to stop beating madly within his chest and for the small beads of sweat to dissipate, “Rey, I have something to tell you.”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

They started walking again, this time at a much more comfortable pace. About half a minute had passed before Kyle continued. “My name isn’t really Kyle. At least, it wasn’t always my name.”

“What do you mean?”

“My name is Ben...Ben Solo,” his voice darkened, as if the revelation of his true name was some kind of dark omen.

“‘Solo’?” Rey echoed. “You mean like… Leia Solo? The governor?”

He nodded, “I’m her son.”

Rey nearly gasped, “You’re kidding.”

Ben sighed defeatedly, running his fingers through his scruffy black hair as if he was exhausted. “It’s true, believe me. When we were skating, I saw her there. Or at least, a woman who looked a lot like her.”

“But that’s silly. The governor wouldn’t be out skating, would she? Especially on a night like this.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But I did tell you we used to every year around this time when I was a kid. Either way...I’m not on good terms with her. That much you do know.”

Rey placed a hand gingerly on his shoulder, “Then why don’t we go back and say hi to her? Maybe things have settled down with her and you two could—”

“No! No… I can’t. It’s just that things are too complicated now, what with my work and all.”

“What about your work?” Rey asked, feeling even more confused than when he had began. 

Ben faced her, debating with himself on whether he should say anything more, and yet his mouth opened to speak once more anyway, “Do you remember when I told you I was a sort of politician? Well, the party I work for is...the First Order.”

Rey’s eyes widened, “The First Order? The militant group?”

“We’re more than just militants, Rey. I had grown up in this state’s political sphere for as long as I can remember. Those in power are nothing but conmen there to stuff their pockets rather than clean these streets. The First Order seeks to change that. We take action where its needed without wasting time of obscure bills and drawn out monologues.”

“Then I suppose it’s no wonder why you’d be on bad terms with your mother…” Rey whispered, finally understanding. Or at least, Ben hoped she fully understood. “Still,” she continued, “The First Order doesn’t have the best reputation.”

“That doesn’t matter now,” Ben scoured, “You can have whatever opinion you want about us. I just want to be honest with you.”

Rey exhaled and kicked up a small pebble in the road, then turned and faced him with a smile, “Thank you at least, for teaching me how to skate.”

They both laughed together and finally, in that moment, all tension seemed to evaporate inside of Ben. He was going to have a good New Year’s for the first time in a very long while.

Even if he knew he shouldn’t have. 

. . .

The steam clouding up from the styrofoam cup of hot cocoa Ben had pressed up against his lips smelled sweeter by the second. 

They had both sipped cocoa now as they walked slowly along the streets of Manhattan again, sometimes talking, sometimes soaking up the unspoiled harmony of the moment. Somewhere, off in the distance, too far away to bother with, shouts of joy and the hyper voices high-volumed of celebrities boomed along to the ticking time bomb that would eventually mark the start of a new year. Yet even though those sounds seemed to grow louder by the hour, hardly anything could pop the bubble that surround Rey and Ben. As far as they were concerned, the night before them was unending and ever so content, as long as they made it. 

Occasionally, a voice would manifest inside of Ben’s ear and tell him “You’re growing too close, like a moth to a flame! Remember. Remember!” and thus the small pit of worry in his stomach would grow a millimeter longer until the harkened it away. He didn’t want to listen to any other voices now. None but Rey’s. 

_It’s only a night_. He’d think to himself. _Only a night._

Yet it was a night he wish would never end. What would it end for other than another day of endless drudgery? A whole year of striving for power to clean a couple of sidewalks, all alone? 

And yet, if he got too close…

“What time is it, anyway?” Rey asked softly.

That was a good question, one he hadn’t even considered until now. Time had seemed to be flow easily, like pouring water out of a a full basin. He almost didn’t want to answer. And yet he looked upon his wristwatch anyway. “It’s 12:51,” he said.

“My gosh, it’s almost New Year’s!” she cried in astonishment. “What are we going to do?”

“What do you mean? We’re pretty good doing what we’ve done for the past two hours.”

“I know,” she replied, “but it’s not enough now. Not whe New Year’s is just under ten minutes away… Hey, I have an idea! How far are we from Central Park?”

Ben tried to remember the last street sign they had past and could only recall one that read “East 79th Street” he had seen ten minutes ago. “We should be only a five minute’s walk from it, actually.”

Immediately, Rey grabbed hold on his hand and began to run towards Central Park, pulling Ben along behind her. He had no idea what she was thinking, but trusted her nonetheless.

After three minutes worth of running, Rey had led him not to the park’s main entrance, but to what she claimed to be a “secret passageway” known only to her that led inside. After another five minutes or so of trudging along through thick brush and then up a secluded hill in the closed off section of the park, Ben could finally say the hurry was worth it. 

Like something out of an overblown melodrama, upon that hill stood a single stone bench that overlooked all of Manhattan and its bright lights a blaze with its partying and glamour from afar, and yet they now were amidst the heart of it all. 

Without further beckoning, they sat upon the bench and stared off into the horizon. From it, a synchronized voice could be heard, faint, but loud enough for them to recognize the inevitable countdown to new year’s taking place. _Convenient_ , Ben had to admit. But there was something else he had to admit, and it wasn’t only to himself. 

All these years, he had lived within the husk of an actual life. And for what felt like an eternity, he had lived it alone for fear. And for fear of what? A silly superstition. A false teaching. He knew now was his chance to change all of that. This moment he had with the girl now before him couldn’t have come to him for now reason. Fated had to have played a part in this night, he _knew_ it. Now was his opportunity to finally come to terms with the raging storm of emotion that brew within him.

“Rey…”

She turned to him, smiling that wonderful smile. “Yes, Ben?”

“There’s something else I have to let you know. It’s important.”

Although confused, she drew closer towards him, listening intently. Ben took a deep breath. “I don’t really have a girlfriend. I only said that because… I was embarrassed.”

“That’s alright,” Rey said, “I kind of knew that.” 

“But you need to know something else,” he added. “There’s a reason why I’ve never had one, actually. There’s a reason why I’ve never let myself intentionally grow closer to anyone ever… My family is complicated, but its problems stem beyond politics. You see, many decades ago, my grandparents fell in love and were married. Their love was a forbidden one, though, and it drove them to tragedy. When my grandmother gave birth to my mother and uncle, she died immediately after from complications. My grandfather was devastated, and it pushed him into a life of crime. He had good intentions, but he became lost, overwhelmed with grief.”

“Oh…” Rey said sadly. Though she was having trouble digesting all he had to say, Ben knew she would come to understand everything in the end.

“There’s more. Since then, my family has been quite literally cursed. Every love that has ever sparked within it since then has ended tragically. My parent’s previous marriages have both ended in them losing their love and my uncle has never married for fear of the same outcome. I used to fear the same thing… until tonight.”

Rey’s eyes widened upon realizing the weight of those last words and though her mouth gaped open as if to say something, nothing came out. She could only stare at him with beseeching eyes that longer for further clarity.

“Rey…” Ben now stood up from his seat, though he still faced Rey with a sincerity he had never displayed, nor felt, before. He held out his hand towards her. “I want you to… be with me. I understand you’re homeless but that doesn’t matter to me. I can rent you an apartment. I can get you high position within the First Order. We can run things together.”

Rey looked upon that hand as if it were the thing she had most wanted in all the galaxy then back up at Ben with the most saddened face he had ever seen. 

Fireworks began to ignite into the air and burst across the starry sky, signaling the start of new year and all the hopes and fears that came with it for so many across the world. Yet the only hope Ben had now was in front of, speechless. 

“Please,” he pleaded softly, ever so desperate. 

Rey finally stood up in front of him. He felt his hand being taken gently by hers and his heart fluttered with relief. That meant “yes”, didn’t it? Then why hadn’t that sad look left her face? Was she simply overwhelmed?

“Ben,” she said. “You’re so sweet, and your heart’s in the right place but… I hardly know you.”

The words came to him like a cold suckerpunch to the jaw. “Hardly know me? I had practically dished out my life’s story to you. I don’t understand what’s left to know. Even still, if time is what you want then I have plenty of that!”

“I appreciate your honesty, I really do!” she cried, “But it’s true. And even if we did take time, there are things in your life that need fixing… And I can’t fix them. That hole your in heart you’re trying to fill is one I can fully satisfy.”

“I don’t understand…” Ben whispered, broken-hearted.

“Then you will someday. But for now, I’m sorry… Happy New Year, Ben. I’ll see you again someday,” Rey said and squeezed his hand before gently letting go and breaking her gaze from him. And then she walked away.

Ben stood where he was for the longest minute of his life, unable to get a grip on his tumultuous feelings. She was gone, and with her, all his hopes for a happy new year. Dejected, he sat alone on the bench for a moment, taking in the fireworks display in all their bright colors.

A chilly breeze brush up against him, swaying the tails of the scarf wrapped mishappenly around his neck. He adjusted its grip and instant his neck felt warmer.

In his left side coat pocket, his phone began to buzz. He picked it up.

“Hi… mom.”


End file.
